Shloka 4
बृहन्नडाप्रवेशः — Bṛhannadā’s Entry into Virāṭa’s Assembly
कस्य वा त्वं कुतो वा त्वं कि वा त्वं तु चिकीर्षसि । न हि मे दृष्टपूर्वस्त्वं तत्त्वं ब्रूहि नरर्षभ,'पुरुषप्रवर! तुम किसके पुत्र हो, कहाँसे आये हो और क्या करना चाहते हो? मैंने आजसे पहले तुम्हें कभी नहीं देखा है; अतः अपना ठीक-ठीक परिचय दो”
kasyā vā tvaṁ kuto vā tvaṁ ki vā tvaṁ tu cikīrṣasi | na hi me dṛṣṭapūrvas tvaṁ tattvaṁ brūhi nararṣabha ||
“اے نرश्रेष्ठ! تو کس کا بیٹا ہے، کہاں سے آیا ہے اور کیا کرنا چاہتا ہے؟ میں نے تجھے پہلے کبھی نہیں دیکھا؛ اس لیے سچ سچ اپنا تعارف واضح طور پر بتا۔”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharmic communication: when confronted with an unknown person, one should seek clarity through direct questions and insist on tattva (truth). It implies that truthful self-disclosure and transparent intention are ethical prerequisites for trust and proper conduct.
A speaker addresses an unfamiliar man with a sequence of probing questions—lineage, origin, and purpose—stating that he has not been seen before and therefore must state his identity truthfully. The moment functions as a narrative checkpoint before further interaction or decision-making.